There's only one you. Unique, a little eccentric maybe even a bit "out there". It's your life and it's travelling quickly. You never know when you just might be sharing the last year of someone's life with them. So it could be pretty realistic to treat each day like there is no tomorrow. Nothing is promised. Give your best.
Still being in the workforce, I get to meet many seniors from many countries and walks of life. It makes my job interesting, creative and enjoyable. It's why I keep working. Meeting a cross-section of talented, individual and strong-minded souls that certainly keep me inspired and learning more about people, aging and myself.
There's a little bit of us breaking off in everything we do; from how we speak, think, move and sort out difficulties. Like curious puzzles, there is a distinct reason we are the way we are. Some like to believe we are the sum of our experiences. Maybe it's a little more than that for you. It feels like it's a journey to how we become our true selves, our best selves. How we settle in despite or perhaps because of the knocks and bumps of life. How we rise in the resilience of them.
In my work I have seen more than a few occasions of people just regaining their footing after some very challenging odds and you think they're on the other side of it; then in a spark of light, they're gone. It's been the most ruminating and lingering aspect of my job. Why at that moment when they seemed to be doing so well? It's true that we never know when our name is called. When these things happen I try to reflect on the last thing I may have said. Did I smile or say something encouraging in parting? It all seems so final but when it's done, it's done.
So the message is be who you feel is the best version of you in your day. Try to do all things to the best of your ability. Focus. Hold no grudges, don't overthink that you know what is going on in someone's world, don't judge and most of all, be helpful and kind. Be present. Be your true self, allowing others to do the same. Simple things I ask myself when I hear that it was the last time I saw someone. I hope I gave my best.
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